 By Staff
April 15th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
Pam Damoff, Member of Parliament for Oakville North Burlington brings some good news for the educators and their students:
$656.5 million dollars in funding to upgrade Ontario’s schools to make them safer for kids and teachers. Over $26 million dollars will be provided to schools in Halton Region to foster a safe and healthy environment for our valued educators, students, parents, and school staff.
 MP Pam Damoff speaking with a constituent in her Oakville office “The wellbeing of our community is of the utmost importance as we continue the fight against COVID-19.
“This investment is being made jointly with the provincial government through the COVID-19 Resilience Infrastructure Stream, with 80% of the funding from our government” explained Damoff who added that: ” The majority of the funding will support ventilation projects that improve air quality in classrooms.
 Students at Central High would be mighty pleased to see air conditioning installed. Additional projects include installing water bottle refilling stations to improve access to safe drinking water, investing in network and broadband infrastructure to support remote learning, and space reconfigurations such as new walls and doors to enhance physical distancing.”
The students at Central high school will watch with some anticipation to learn if their school is going to see some air conditioning equipment. Climate change and the need to circulate air in schools built decades ago is no longer something nice to have.
 By Julie Hunt Gibbons
April 15th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
Many of the challenges of this pandemic have been solved through the use of technology. The tools of technology have allowed the world of work to continue from a safe distance. Education in Canada has been no different.
Last year’s March – June shut down in elementary, secondary, and post secondary in Ontario was facilitated by the use of online learning, both synchronous and asynchronous, through a host of different learning management systems and educational platforms and applications. This year our provincial public health challenges have varied by population and demographic and we have used technology to respond accordingly.
 Failure to Disrupt: Why Technology Alone Can’t Transform Education Here in Halton, and the surrounding GTHA, students have experienced a variety of synchronous and asynchronous fully online and hybrid learning models in response to the need for student cohorting and swells in Covid-19 numbers. The recent pandemic response, coupled with decades of technological innovation and growing use, have led many people to cite technology as the panacea for educational change in this province and around the globe. They would do well to read Justin Reich’s latest book, Failure to Disrupt: Why Technology Alone Can’t Transform Education” (2020).
Reich does not base his claims on recent pandemic events. In fact, he wrote this book prior to the onslaught of COVID-19 and points out that the supposedly transformative educational technology of the past decade has done little to revolutionize learning. He debunks claims such as:
Harvard Business School’s 2009 claim by Clay Christensen that predicted that half of all American secondary school courses would be online by 2019,
Sal Khan’s claim that Khan Academy videos would reinvent education,
Sebastian Thrun of Udacity’s claim that in 50 years we’d have only 10 institutions of higher education in the world as a result of the success of massive open online courses (MOOCs).
Sugata Mitra’s claim that students no longer need schools or teachers as groups of children with access to the internet could teach themselves anything.
 Computers will be part of classrooms – but they will not replace classroom teachers. Reich addresses MOOCs, autograders, computerized “intelligent tutors,” and widely adopted popular educational software in-depth and traces their hype, their potential,and their ultimate shortcomings. According to Reich, despite their economic success in making their creators wealthy, their benefit has been to primarily wealthy students and they have done little, if anything, to combat growing inequalities in education. Thus this has not been “true innovation” and has not radically changed the educational system in any way. Rather these tools have been adapted, tested, used or not used by educators within the system.
Technology does, and will, continue to play a crucial role in the future of education but as nothing more than a tool for classroom experimentation and the expansion of educators’ pedagogical toolkits.
None of this should come as a surprise; the pandemic has evidenced extreme growth in the use of educational technology, but the key lesson of our online learning experiments in a pandemic have been that there is a want and need for human interaction. Educators have the uniquely human skills to engage (or not engage) students. Education is at its essence a human skill and human pursuit. Change and improvement to education must come from human iterations. There is no magic technological wand.
I join Reich in his confidence that when we take stock of the education our schools provided in our schools during the pandemic, we will see evidence of many new technological classroom and teaching strategies reflective of staff learning and the practicing of technological skills. These are valuable skills and our schools can and should build on them, continuing the process of learning how to teach, learn, and use our digital tools more effectively. Educational improvement is a journey, not a destination and technology can shape and accelerate this journey but technology alone cannot transform education.
 HDSB Superintendent Julie Hunt Gibbons
Julie Hunt Gibbons Halton District School Board Superintendent of Secondary Program & Student Success, North West Oakville Family of Schools was a part of the team that created the iStem courses that began at the Aldershot High school.
Julie was born in Ottawa, graduated from TA Blakelock in Oakville then attended: University of Western Ontario | B.A. Hon. | Sociology and Political Science; University of Windsor | MA. | Sociology (Socio-legal Studies) and University of Toronto |B.Ed. |Intermediate and Senior qualifications
Julie didn’t intend to be a teacher. She did a Masters in Sociology (Socio-legal studies) thinking it would be a good stepping stone to Law School. It was while working as a Teaching Assistant that she fell in love with teaching.
 By Pepper Parr
April 15th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
A number of weeks ago I heard a CBC interview about a book that talked about the concept of disruption and education.
 Disruption has bitten deeply into retail markets and has all but killed local newspapers.
Uber turned the taxi business upside down.
The Ontario government is now thinking about disrupting education and teaching both elementary and high school students on-line.
Halton District School Board Superintendent Julie Hunt Gibbons, who will be retiring in June after a long career as a teacher, did a review of Failure to Disrupt: Why technology alone cannot transform education
Her review led us to changes the provincial government is actively pursuing.
The Hunt Gibbons interview appears in the Gazette today – the scoop on what the provincial government appears to be planning will be in the paper on Friday.
Here is a glimpse of what the government is discussing internally at the Ministry of Education.
The full report will be published on Friday.
 A portion of the documents being used by Ministry of Education Consultation group.
By Staff
April 12th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
The Ontario government, in consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health, has made the difficult decision to move elementary and secondary schools to remote learning following the April break. This move has been made in response to the rapid increase in COVID-19 cases, the increasing risks posed to the public by COVID-19 variants, and the massive spike in hospital admissions.
Details were provided today by Premier Doug Ford, Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education, and Dr. David Williams, Chief Medical Officer of Health.
 Medical professionals are being pushed beyond the limits – with triage decisions possible in the weeks ahead. “We are seeing a rapidly deteriorating situation with a record number of COVID cases and hospital admissions threatening to overwhelm our health care system,” said Premier Ford. “As I have always said we will do whatever it takes to ensure everyone stays safe. By keeping kids home longer after spring break we will limit community transmission, take pressure off our hospitals and allow more time to rollout our COVID-19 vaccine plan.”
With appropriate measures in place, schools have been safe places for learning throughout the pandemic, as confirmed by the Chief Medical Officer of Health and local medical officers of health and have demonstrated low rates of in-school transmission. However, increasing rates of community spread pose a threat to the health and safety of school communities. As a result, all publicly funded and private elementary and secondary schools in the province are to move to teacher-led remote learning when students return from the April break on April 19, 2021.
 Classrooms will remain empty – for how long? Depends on how well the public learns to listen. Private schools operating in-person this week are to transition to remote learning by April 15, 2021. This action is being taken in support of the Government’s broader efforts to limit the spread of COVID-19. Data will be assessed on an ongoing basis and health officials will be consulted to determine when it will be safe to resume in-person learning.
Child care for non-school aged children will remain open, before and after school programs will be closed and free emergency child care for the school-aged children of eligible health care and frontline workers will be provided. To protect the most vulnerable, boards will make provisions for continued in-person support for students with special education needs who require additional support that cannot be accommodated through remote learning.
“This was not a decision we made lightly, as we know how critical schools are to Ontario students. Our priority has always been to keep schools open, however sharply rising community transmission can put our schools and Ontario families at risk,” said Minister Lecce. “While Ontario’s plan has kept schools safe, as confirmed by the Chief Medical Officer of Health, we are taking decisive and preventative action today to ensure students can safely return to learning in our schools.”
Case rates, hospitalizations, and ICU occupancy are increasing rapidly, threatening to overwhelm the health care system. The number of COVID-19 hospitalizations in the province have increased by 22.1 per cent between the period of April 4 and 10, 2021.
In addition, during this same period of time, Ontario has seen
the number of COVID-19 patients in intensive care increase from 494 to 605.
Since April 8, the province has been under a provincewide Stay-at-Home order, requiring everyone to remain at home except for essential purposes, such as going to the grocery store or pharmacy, accessing health care services (including getting vaccinated), for outdoor exercise with your household in your home community, or for work that cannot be done remotely. As Ontario’s health care capacity is threatened, the Stay-at-Home order, and other new and existing public health and workplace safety measures, will work to preserve public health system capacity, safeguard vulnerable populations, allow for progress to be made with vaccinations and save lives.
 One has to wonder how much longer Doug Ford can get up every day and continue to tell the people that he is doing everything he can and pleading with people to say home as he watches the numbers of infections rise. With students moving to remote learning, vaccine prioritization of education workers who provide direct support to students with special education needs across the province, and all education workers in select hot spot areas, starting with Peel and Toronto, will continue. Starting today, special education workers across the province and education workers in Peel and Toronto hot spots will be eligible to register for vaccination by calling the provincial vaccine booking line at 1 833 943 3900. More information is available at Ontario.ca/covidvaccine.
It is critically important that as Ontarians receive the vaccine, everyone continues to wear a mask, maintain physical distancing when outside of their immediate household and frequently wash their hands. As well, continue to monitor for symptoms of COVID-19 and get tested if symptoms are present.
“As we continue to see rapid growth in community transmission across the province, it is necessary to take extra precautions and measures to ensure the continued health and safety of students, teachers and their families,” said Dr. David Williams, Chief Medical Officer of Health. “As the fight against this third wave of the pandemic continues, everyone must continue following all public health and workplace safety measures and stay at home to prevent further transmission of the virus, so we can once again resume in person learning in our schools.”
 Minister of Education: Stephen Lecce Steven Del Duca, the Leader of the Ontario Liberal Party who has yet to earn a seat in the Legislature said in a prepared statement that: “Just yesterday, Minister Lecce wrote to parents telling them that all publicly funded schools would remain open after the April Break. One day later, Doug Ford is closing them for weeks. The in-fighting between Doug Ford and his education minister is putting our children and education workers at risk, and Lecce should be fired for it.”
“It’s time for Doug Ford to adopt our Ontario Liberal plan, which includes capping class sizes at 15, investing in urgent repairs to ventilation in classrooms, and vaccinating all education workers over the April Break so that schools can be safe and stay open for good after this closure. It’s time to end Doug Ford’s chaos once and for all by making schools safe.”
And doesn’t Doug Ford wish that it was that easy.
By Justin Weinger
April 8th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
For almost a decade now, people have been toying with the idea of paying with Bitcoin, or other cryptocurrencies, instead of cash or credit card. However, with Bitcoin’s rise to fame in the past 12 months, this may be more than just wishful thinking in the near future. That’s right, just like cryptocurrencies have caught on with investors, they may very soon catch on with everyone else.
Thus, the question remaining is not ‘if’, but rather ‘when’, cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ether; Litecoin, and the rest are going to become a popular and accepted payment method – and when the revolution is expected to reach the greater Toronto area. Well, we’ve got some good news and some bad news for you in that sense.
 Bitcoin’s rise to fame in the past 12 months. Reasons for optimism
Cryptocurrency has been around for a long time, but only in 2009, with the invention of Bitcoin, did it become more than just a game for geeks. Slowly but steadily, Bitcoin gained popularity, and subsequently its rate increased. The big boom came in 2020, when investors had been looking for venues not hit by COVID-19 and its financial consequences. The charts don’t lie – Bitcoin’s rate has reached more than 12 times what it had been just a year ago, and other cryptos haven’t done so terribly either during the same time period.
This has granted cryptocurrencies public awareness – a stepping stone to institutionalization. Today you can see crypto exchanges and even ATMs, so why not accept them at stores and restaurants as well? Ray Glover from the world-renowned investment firm CreditEUBank, which offers cryptocurrency trade in Canada, shared his thoughts on the matter with us.
 The future is literally in your hands. “Cryptocurrency is catching on, and Bitcoin is a good example of that. Did you know that around the world, some branches of fast-food chains like Burger King, Pizza Hut, Domino’s Pizza, and even Subway, accept payments in Bitcoin? I believe that it’s only a matter of time till it becomes widespread – and I’m talking about less time than you probably think.”
But wait, there’s a catch
Just like with any other technology in history, change is going to take time. You know what they say – Rome wasn’t built in a day. It’s probably going to start off in big metropolitan areas, and be used by wealthier populations first, just like back when credit cards and ATMs were a new thing. This may be good news for you if you reside in the greater Toronto area, or even in the Quebec City-Windsor corridor.
The matter also depends on initiative. Mega shops and restaurant chains accepting Bitcoin is a nice thing, but the real change must come from the small, local shops like your grocer, butcher and ice cream vendor. The key word here is perception: If cryptocurrency is seen as a legitimate payment method, its popularity will rise faster. The authorities in Canada have already legalized it as a payment method, and now it’s up to the simple man and woman to do the same.
In the meantime
There is an option to take advantage of the rising popularity of Bitcoin and its peers. Online brokers like CreditEUBank offer trading services on popular and promising cryptocurrencies, which means anyone can learn how this market works. The investments are done on a CFD (cost for difference) basis, bringing two great advantages for traders. Firstly, you do not need to own any crypto coin. You invest on its value, and you earn according to it.
 Driving the markets crazy. Secondly, CFD trading also makes it possible to profit off of a cryptocurrency’s decrease in value. All you need to do is project the direction in which the asset is going. Since CreditEUBank has over 15 years of experience in the field of online trading, as well as other sectors such as private debt, VC and private equity, this is a broker which can be trusted with providing the necessary tools to trade wisely.
Bottom line
Winds of change are definitely being felt. Whether we like it or not, cryptocurrency (and especially Bitcoin) is going to become an acceptable and widely used financial transaction method in the near future. We’re talking about a whole lot of new possibilities here, and an advantageous situation for anyone who wants to embrace this new technology. Luckily, CreditEUBank and other brokers can assist in this process.
 By Staff
March 29th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
The strain from the restrictions on what we can and cannot do while we weather ourselves through this pandemic are beginning to show.
The warm weather is going to attract all kinds of outside activity – and dinner at an outdoor patio – but only with people in your household – who are probably the last people you want to dine with – you’ve been cooped up with them for months.
The Halton District School Board is hosting two Mental Health & Well-Being Information Sessions for Parents/Guardians on Monday, March 29 and Tuesday, March 30 at 7 p.m. at www.hdsb.ca.
 Tuesday, March 30 session will be for families with high school students Discussion will include parent, child and youth mental health and well-being, ways in which parents/guardians can support their children, and resources available for youth and families. Each session will feature four panelists (parents, mental health experts, HDSB school social workers and community partners) who will share their experiences of parenting during COVID-19 and provide helpful information and resources.
The information session on Monday, March 29 will include information for parents/guardians of elementary students (Kindergarten – Grade 8) and the session on Tuesday, March 30 will include information for parents/guardians of secondary students (Grade 9 – 12).
These sessions will help parents/guardians learn about:
• How the pandemic may be impacting their, child’s, mental health and well-being
• Coping and well-being strategies for them and their children to support better mental health and well-being
• Resources and support available through their child’s school and within the community
Elementary Session: Monday, March 29 from 7 – 8:15 p.m. at www.hdsb.ca
Presenters:
• Noorie Soni, HDSB parent and PIC member
• Kim Menezes-Francispillai, School Social Worker, HDSB
• Shivani Patel, Lead, Access and System Navigation, Reach Out Centre for Kids (ROCK)
• Nathan Pillai, Clinical Psychologist, Bayridge Counselling Centre
Secondary Session: Tuesday, March 30 from 7 – 8:15 p.m. at www.hdsb.ca
Presenters:
• Darlene Wierski-Devoe, Parent and Program Supervisor, Halton Families for Families
• Melinda Dougan, School Social Worker, HDSB
• Shivani Patel, Lead, Access and System Navigation, Reach Out Centre for Kids (ROCK)
• Nicole Callander RSSW, Therapist, Bayridge Counselling Centre
 Session will have information for parents/guardians of elementary students (Kindergarten – Grade 8) and the session on Monday March 29th.
The sessions will be livestreamed through the HDSB YouTube channel. Parents/guardians can visit www.hdsb.ca at 7 p.m. on March 29 and/or March 30 to tune in. Registration is not required.
The HDSB is planning additional information sessions for parents/guardians on specific mental health & well-being topics to take place in the spring. The Board’s new Mental Health & Well-Being webpage has information for parents/guardians and students on mental health, ways to support positive mental health and well-being and how to get additional support at school and in the community.
 By Staff
March 24th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
Millions of Canadians want to know — of the four COVID-19 vaccines approved by Health Canada — which one is the best one? Numbers and statistics are flying around and it’s fair to have a lot of other questions.
Are the Moderna and Pfizer shots really the ‘Cadillac’ of vaccines? Is the AstraZeneca shot effective? Does it matter which vaccine you get? We explain what vaccine efficacy really means and why comparing them is like comparing “apples to oranges”, the real differences between the ‘jabs’ and why out of all the numbers, 100% is the big one to focus on.
CLICK HERE for an excellent report on just what all that medical means. (When you get to the link, scroll down for the podcast.) It runs for 15 minutes but you will leave knowing a lot more and have fewer questions.
 By Staff
March 23rd, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
The City’s spring break programming, which includes Youth Camp and Student Theatre Camp, and PA Day programming will be open for registration at burlington.ca/schoolbreaks on March 26, 2021, at 11 a.m.
Programs are available for viewing now.
 Students will be able to be outside but programs will be much different this Spring Break. Youth Camp and PA Day programming will take place at Tansley Woods Community Centre, 1996 Itabashi Way.
Student Theatre Camp will take place at Burlington Student Theatre, 2131 Prospect St.
If residents have questions about programs or need help with registering, contact the City by email at liveandplay@burlington.ca, or if you need to speak to someone, call 905-335-7738, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday to Friday and 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on weekends.
Recreation Fee Assistance
Recreation is for all, regardless of financial situation. Recreation Fee Assistance is funding made available to resident individuals or families who need help to pay for City of Burlington recreation programs.
For more information or to apply, visit burlington.ca/feeassistance. You can also leave a confidential voicemail message at 905-335-7738, ext. 8501 and staff will return your call to assist you.
Chris Glenn, Director of Recreation, Community and Culture explains that while: “Programs may look different we have designed them to still offer the highest quality programming, staff and participant safety and a wide range of fun and exciting activities.
“Kids will love the programs and parents can feel confident their child is not only safe, but having fun, too.”
Links and Resources
www.burlington.ca/schoolbreaks
 By Staff
March 22nd, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
The strain from the restrictions on what we can and cannot do while we weather ourselves through this pandemic are beginning to show.
The warm weather is going to attract all kinds of outside activity – and dinner at an outdoor patio – but only with people in your household – who are probably the last people you want to dine with – you’ve been cooped up with them for months.
The Halton District School Board is hosting two Mental Health & Well-Being Information Sessions for Parents/Guardians on Monday, March 29 and Tuesday, March 30 at 7 p.m. at www.hdsb.ca.
Discussion will include parent, child and youth mental health and well-being, ways in which parents/guardians can support their children, and resources available for youth and families. Each session will feature four panelists (parents, mental health experts, HDSB school social workers and community partners) who will share their experiences of parenting during COVID-19 and provide helpful information and resources.
The information session on Monday, March 29 will include information for parents/guardians of elementary students (Kindergarten – Grade 8) and the session on Tuesday, March 30 will include information for parents/guardians of secondary students (Grade 9 – 12).
These sessions will help parents/guardians learn about:
• How the pandemic may be impacting their, and their child’s, mental health and well-being
• Coping and well-being strategies for them and their children to support better mental health and well-being
• Resources and support available through their child’s school and within the community
Elementary Session: Monday, March 29 from 7 – 8:15 p.m. at www.hdsb.ca
Presenters:
• Noorie Soni, HDSB parent and PIC member
• Kim Menezes-Francispillai, School Social Worker, HDSB
• Shivani Patel, Lead, Access and System Navigation, Reach Out Centre for Kids (ROCK)
• Nathan Pillai, Clinical Psychologist, Bayridge Counselling Centre
Secondary Session: Tuesday, March 30 from 7 – 8:15 p.m. at www.hdsb.ca
Presenters:
• Darlene Wierski-Devoe, Parent and Program Supervisor, Halton Families for Families
• Melinda Dougan, School Social Worker, HDSB
• Shivani Patel, Lead, Access and System Navigation, Reach Out Centre for Kids (ROCK)
• Nicole Callander RSSW, Therapist, Bayridge Counselling Centre
Parents/guardians are encouraged to submit questions they would like the panelists to answer during the information sessions. Questions can be submitted through this form: Questions for Mental Health & Well-Being Information Sessions until Thursday, March 24 at 11:59 p.m.
The sessions will be livestreamed through the HDSB YouTube channel. Parents/guardians can visit www.hdsb.ca at 7 p.m. on March 29 and/or March 30 to tune in. Registration is not required.
The HDSB is planning additional information sessions for parents/guardians on specific mental health & well-being topics to take place in the spring. The Board’s new Mental Health & Well-Being webpage has information for parents/guardians and students on mental health, ways to support positive mental health and well-being and how to get additional support at school and in the community.
By Staff
March 18th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
Registration is open for BellyUp Bellydance’s 8 Week Spring Session.
Is this just a fun event or is this preparation for a public performance?
Register for in-person at the studio or live online.
In-Studio class sizes are reduced to 10 per class as per the Province of Ontario’s “Red Zone” restrictions which means their classes fill faster than ever. Join them for an inspiring session that’ll make you feel alive, build your self-esteem, strengthen and tone your body and so much more.
Click here for in-studio registration!
Click here for live online class registration!
Related news items:
Classic Belly Dancing
 Feel alive, build your self-esteem, strengthen and tone your body.
 By Pepper Parr
March 15th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
Grief is a part of life.
 We live in a world where for the most part there are family and friends to see you through the grief that has come into your life.
We survive and become better people, wiser people and more appreciative of what we have.
That has changed hasn’t it?
We normally attend funerals for people we knew well, admired, worked with, and will miss. We have not been able to do that, meaning one of the tools we use to come to terms with the grief we are experiencing is no longer there for us to use.
Frank and Doreen Kelly are leading a 13 week course on managing grief that will be held at Glad Tiding Pentecostal Church.
The next 13 week class starts May 5. The meetings will run from 7:00p.m. -9:00p.m .
 Registration is free – the program will take place on line.
The team has held three sessions and is ready to take registrations for the fourth session of 13 weeks that will start in May
You can register HERE.
When you get to the site you select Burlington as the location and then select Glad Tidings Church.
The course is free – there is a nominal cost for a Workbook.
The sessions at this point in time are done via Zoom. The Kellys are part of the Glad Tidings Church in Burlington who are supporting this initiative.
 By Staff
March 13th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
Several months ago, Stuart Miller, Director of Education for Halton District School Board, announced his retirement effective August 2021.
The Board of Trustees has begun the search process for a new Director of Education and have retained Joan M Green and Associates/Lough Barnes Consulting Group to guide them in the selection process.
 Board Chair Grebenc has worked well with the Director of Education The trustees have decided to look to the community for comments and are inviting members of the community to participate in a voluntary survey to share their thoughts on the most important leadership attributes for a new Director of Education.
Please complete the Director’s Search Survey by 11:59 pm on Friday, March 19, 2021. It will take approximately 15-20 minutes to complete and is anonymous.
Andréa Grebenc, Chair for the Halton District School Board said: “The feedback received will assist us in developing a leadership profile and mandate for this critical role. The consultation process allows the Board to gather feedback on the characteristics, competencies and commitments necessary for effective leadership in the context of HDSB’s strengths, challenges and opportunities.”
By Pepper Parr
February 24th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
The Halton District School Board released its Multi Year Plan for the period 2020-2024 earlier this week. One quarter of the time frame has already passed making the document, in our view, a little less relevant.
The Gazette asked HDSB trustee chair Andrea Grebenc why the delay. She explained that “traditionally the plan has been announced just as we begin the school year in which it was intended to start – so summer 2020 would have been the appropriate time.
 Andrea Grebenc, Chair of the HDSB learned that listening was the biggest part of creating a Multi year Plan “We ended up soft-launching by approving it in the fall. The MYP creation process is a 6-month plus process and was interrupted by the pandemic. The process involves dedicated time from senior level staff and trustees and when the pandemic hit mid-March, both trustees and staff were pulled into dealing with the crisis at hand.
“We run a very lean administrative compliment (meaning we spend less than our provincial allocation on senior staff and redirect into the schools) so the pandemic stretched us and briefly pushed the MYP development down the priority list.”
The pandemic did much more than stretch the public school system – they had to create a new, effective way of delivering an education to students with nothing in the way of a play book to follow.
It will be some time before classes return to anything even near normal. There are some solid lessons to come out of the pandemic – those will have to be thought through.
Next September the Board should have a new Director of Education in place; he or she (it could and should be a she this time) will have to rebuild much of the way Boards of Education prepare students for a much different future.
The purpose of the MYP, approved by Trustees in November 2020, sets direction and prioritizes the collective actions of all stakeholders to ensure efforts of the HDSB are aligned to support the Board’s more than 65,000 students, 9,000 staff and the broader community.
The MYP 2020-2024 consists of five key areas:
• Equity & Inclusion
• Mental Health and Well-Being
• Learning and Achievement
• Environmental Leadership
• Indigenous Perspectives and Awareness
 The Board identifies its commitment within each area and outlines goals that define the key strategic work the Board will undertake during the next four years. While there are five distinct areas to the plan, no one area stands alone or above another as each is connected.
Adaptability, Relationships, Innovation, Communication, Accountability and Engagement are foundational elements of the MYP plan that describe the values of the HDSB and how staff and stakeholders will work together to achieve the goals outlined in the plan.
The Indigenous Perspectives and Awareness area of the MYP demonstrates the HDSB’s commitment to expanding knowledge and understanding of Indigenous perspectives and realities. To further the Board’s commitment to this area, Stephen Paquette has been hired into a permanent position as the Board’s Indigenous Knowledge Guide ＆ Engagement Advisor, to provide expertise to staff, schools and departments.
As part of the Equity & Inclusion area of the Plan, the HDSB created the Discriminatory and Harmful Language Protocol to provide clear expectations for how staff respond when harm is caused. This protocol will be followed by students and staff to promote a school environment free from discriminatory language.
In September 2019, the Board initiated a process to develop a new MYP. A steering committee was created to help guide the development of the MYP. An external consultant, Maximum City, was hired to initiate an extensive stakeholder consultation process to review the contents of the previous MYP and seek input about what the HDSB community values and would like to see represented in the next MYP.
Input on the MYP was received from more than 4,000 HDSB respondents including parents/guardians, students, staff and community members on a broad range of issues.
Chair Andréa Grebenc said “The resulting plan clearly outlines the focus of the next few years and recognizes the key priority areas we heard from students, our staff and the broader Halton community.”
The pandemic will have bumped some of those priorities down the list – there is a whole new world ahead of the education system – the challenge will be to identify the positive opportunities and at the same time take a pass on some of the past practices.
Link to the MYP
By Staff
February 17th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
It should come as no huge surprise – COVID19 infections are being reported at several schools in the Region.
 A single student was infected and the class was closed – the school remained open. Just the one infection reported in Burlington at the Mohawk Public school where the classroom has been closed.
Classes resumed at schools this week.
How many infections are there likely to be? No one has any idea. At this stage everyone is keeping a very close eye and readying for whatever they think could happen and be ready to respond.
It is going to be stressful week – we know why the infection took place – someone without the infection came in contact with someone who was infected.
The virus is in the community. How deep is infection rate likely to be ? We don’t know yet.
 By Ray Rivers
February 17th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
In even the darkest days of our lives, and 2020 has been the darkest I can remember, there are some silver linings. For example, on-line sales have never been better. Naturally, Amazon is the first thing we think of but other companies have also done well in this area.
While searching out a source of respirators on-line, I located a company selling Canadian made n95 surgical masks for less than $5 each. Mikhail Moore, a Vancouver engineer got together with some like-minded entrepreneurs and health specialists from McMaster University to design and manufacture respirators last summer. And in a matter of months he had ramped up a manufacturing facility and was turning out a million Vitacore face masks a month, including the highly effective n95 which had been in short supply only a few months earlier.
 Purely Canadian One problem Mr. Moore encountered was that Canada doesn’t even have standards for respirators. We simply adopt the US NIOSH standard, but for a Canadian that means one can only get certification if the product is manufactured in the USA. So Vitacore had to work with the National Research Council and Health Canada in order to obtain an interim certification order to meet the US standard.
Canada is apparently nearly self-sufficient in PPE now, according to the PM. But that doesn’t answer the question about why we were so unprepared at the beginning of the pandemic. Following the SARS outbreak two decades ago, Dr. Teresa Tam, currently Canada’s chief public health officer, authored the Canadian manual on pandemics. That included a call for a 16 week stockpile of personal protection equipment (PPE) in order to cover potentially two waves of a pandemic in this country.
But over the years, and over the last two governments, the stockpile had diminished. Then, in early February last year, the health minister shipped the last 16 tonnes of PPE to China to help them with their COVID fight. The government obviously believed the risk of an outbreak here was minimal. And for that reason neither did they initially close the border to prevent travellers from China and elsewhere bringing the virus with them.
And then a month or so later our hospitals were becoming overwhelmed and long term care was in such a mess that the army had to be called in. And, of course, the PPE we all needed was in critically short supply. Our traditional supply from the US had been blocked by Donald Trump. The hapless bureaucracy at Health Canada ignored offers by companies like Honeywell to send us masks from their factory in Mexico. And shipments from China had to be discarded as unsafe.
So health care workers re-used their disposable masks, and made their own cloth ones, or got sick, and possibly infected even more people in the community. And Dr. Tam shamelessly delivered a barrage of mixed messages about masks, including her initial comments that people were safer without one, as health officials everywhere debated what should have been obvious.
 The Atlanta based Centre for Disease Control provides information and specifications for PPE. And unfortunately it wasn’t just about PPE. Canada’s entire record on this epidemic is abysmal. Whether it’s the federal government failing to secure our borders from day one or the provincial premiers lessening restrictions too soon. And now the question is whether these jurisdictions can get us vaccinated before another variant shows up and possibly renders the vaccine irrelevant.
Australia has announced that they will be manufacturing their own AstraZeneca vaccine and therefore have more control over its supply than we do. Of course, the Aussies, with near zero COVID transmission, don’t have to be in a hurry. Still, at least we Canadians now have affordable Canadian-made face masks. And if we used them we should be able to protect ourselves and our children, at least until the vaccines do arrive and get jabbed into our arms.
 Face masks coming off the Vitacore production line. Vitacore has already moved forward to develop an even more efficient n99 mask and is anticipating the potential export of their products. The company is also embarking on a timely recycling program for used/soiled PPE in cooperation with McMaster University. They are setting up drop-off stations in Vancouver and will be sanitizing and palletizing the material for reuse in road building.
And another silver lining when we consider all the money the governments have been spilling, is that Vitacore has not needed federal or provincial subsidies to make their business model work. I wonder whether Vitacore president Mikhail Moore has ever thought about running for public office. We certainly could use some of those leadership skills.
 Ray Rivers, born in Ontario earned an economics degree at the University of Western Ontario and a Master’s degree in economics at the University of Ottawa. His 25 year stint with the federal government included time with Environment, Fisheries and Oceans, Agriculture and the Post office. Rivers is active in his community; has run for municipal and provincial office.
Background links:
Vitacore – PPE for China – Canada’s PPE –
Turning Down Masks – Government Mess – Standards –
Nearly Self-Sufficient – Canada’s Plan –
https://shop.vitacore.ca/collections/frontpage/products/copy-of-can95-masks-health-canada-approved-1-box
By Pepper Parr
February 16th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
Sometime between now and the end of August the Halton District School Board trustees are expected to decide on who the next Director of Education will be.
 Stuart Miller, current Director of Education, to retire in August. Stuart Miller has served as the Director for the past five years. He submitted his resignation to the Board late last year.
Every member of the Board of Trustees will serve on the Selection Committee where the objective is to reach a consensus.
There are at least two of the current roster of Superintendents, (both female) that are certainly qualified.
 Grebenc, (left) and Miller have worked well together Consultants are being brought in to guide and direct the trustees through the process.
Board Chair Andrea Grebenc will Chair the Selection Committee, the vice chair of the Board Tracey, Ehl Harrison, will serve as vice chair.
 By Staff
February 16th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
The schools may not have been as open as parents would have liked but the bills still have to be paid – which means putting together a budget.
Getting that job done is going to be a challenge for both the Staff and the trustees. Doing things virtual is not fun – ask any classroom teacher.
 Halton District School Board values input from parents/guardians, members of the community, staff and students concerning the development of the 2021-2022 budget.
Individuals are encouraged to provide input on budget priorities for the upcoming school year online – a questionnaire can be found on the Halton District School Board’s website at www.hdsb.ca. Input must be received by March 5, 2021.
Before providing input, individuals are encouraged to review the Board’s Multi-Year Plan 2020-2024,
Special Education Plan and Operational Plan. A key objective of the annual budget process is to align the Halton District School Board’s financial resources with these important documents.
Community members are also able to delegate to the Board of Trustees. Please follow the Delegation
By-law posted on the Halton District School Board website (found under the ‘Our Board’ tab).
 By Staff
February 11th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
The province has not cancelled the March Break – they did push t back to April 12 to 16.
Stephen Lecce, Ontario’s Minister of Education, issued the following statement regarding March break:
 Stephen Lecce, Ontario’s Minister of Education, “In support of our collective efforts to keep schools safe, we are postponing March break until April 12-16, 2021.
This decision was made with the best advice of Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health and public health officials, including consultations with many local Medical Officers of Health.
“Many students have been learning remotely since the start of 2021. It is critical we follow public health advice to protect schools and avoid a repeat of the concerning spike in youth-related cases over the winter break, when students and staff were out of schools for a prolonged period of time. We are taking this precaution based on advice from health experts, including the province’s Science Table and the Chief Medical Officer of Health, to help protect against the emerging COVID-19 variants of concern.
“We appreciate the hard work of students and staff in the education sector and I want to be clear: March break is being postponed, not cancelled. To keep schools open, we must keep them free of COVID-19. The actions announced today serve to limit opportunities for congregation – while reaffirming the evidence that schools are safe for students. By continuing to follow public health advice, and by introducing additional safety measures and more testing, we are supporting our collective efforts to keep COVID-19 from entering our schools.
“With respect to travel, our government’s position on this is unchanged. Ontarians should refrain from travelling, particularly given the increase in new variants that pose a direct risk to our country. Please stay at home as much as possible and continue following the direction of public health officials so that we can keep schools open and protect our seniors, frontline health workers and all families.
“These decisions – based on the advice of medical experts – are never easy, but they are necessary to keep Ontario families safe.”
 By Staff
February 7th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
Several of Canada’s finest instrumental jazz musicians, will be on-line February 10th – 7pm via Zoom – not to be missed.
Thanks to a generous grant from the City of Burlington’s Community Support Fund, a special program created to support Burlington artists during the pandemic, One Burlington has commissioned Joe Sealy and his colleague Paul Novotny to create a special 25-minute video version of Africville Stories to be launched in Burlington at 7 pm on Wednesday February 10th , 2021.
Joe Sealy and Paul Novotny will be available for a Q&A immediately after the showing. The video will subsequently be provided to both Burlington school boards for telecasts during the week of February 15th.
 Africville was seen as a slum – but it was home to a small but very robust black community that was forgotten until the city of Halifax wanted to develop the land. Joe Sealy is one of Canada’s premier jazz pianists and composers. His Africville Suite won a Juno Award as Best Jazz Recording of 1996. Joe Sealy subsequently created an attraction called Africville Stories, which relates the stories behind the various musical selections in the Suite. He wrote several additional songs for the great Canadian jazz/gospel/blues singer Jackie Richardson, who serves as Narrator for the 75-minute work. Africville Stories also features several of Canada’s finest instrumental jazz musicians, including saxophonist Alison Young, bassist Paul Novotny and percussionist Daniel Barnes.
Africville is a community on the outskirts of Halifax that had little, if anything, in the way of municipal services. The residents of that community were treated terribly.
One Burlington, Burlington’s organization dedicated to the celebration of faith and culture in the City of Burlington, is planning an event in commemoration of Black History Month.
Africville Stories is Joe Sealy’s musical tribute to the Halifax community of Africville, a neighbourhood built by generations of Black immigrants to Nova Scotia subsequent to their arrival from post-Revolutionary America. The community was razed to the ground in 1960 as part of a Halifax urban renewal project. Joe Sealy’s mother was born and raised there.
 Paul Novotny Africville Stories fit well into One Burlington’s mandate to celebrate the cultural diversity of its citizenry, and especially those communities that are under-served, and to provide insights into the often difficult histories of these multicultural communities. We stand proud in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement.
Joe Sealy’s Africville Stories, featuring Jackie Richardson and Paul Novotny.
Wednesday February 10th, 2021 at 7 pm
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.usj8507806860?pwd=MFVlKzZsTnBEbWZCNCt5MkkyWGd1UT09
Meeting ID: 885 0780 6860
Passcode: 231098
If that link doesn’t work, please go to zoom.us and enter the Meeting ID and Passcode to get in that way!
For more information contact Robert Missen at 905-632-6047 or rmissen@sympatico.ca
By Staff
February 3rd, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
Intimate Partner Violence is the dark under belly part of our society.
We don’t want to hear about it, however it is going on all around us.
 9-1-1 call from an individual reporting that a male was assaulting a female in a residence, and that help was urgently needed. The Halton Regional Police Service report that if the current trend continues, officers will attend more than 4,000 intimate partner violence incidents by the end of this year.
Last month, the HRPS received an early morning 911 call.
Officers were dispatched and arrived at the residence. Nothing could be seen or heard from the house which was in total darkness. Officers gained entry to the house and soon located a male, as well as his common-law partner who had multiple red marks and bruising on her upper body.
Officers learned that the male party had been drinking for several hours during the evening. Two children in the home reported hearing slapping, yelling and loud noises throughout the remainder of the night until police intervened.
The male was arrested soon after and subsequently transported to Central Lock Up. Thereafter, the HRPS Intimate Partner Violence Unit took carriage of the investigation. The accused was charged with Assault, Assault Causing Bodily Harm (Choking), and Forcible Confinement.
The female party was admitted to hospital for her injuries and was referred to the Halton Regional Police Service Victim Services Unit.
The Victim Services Unit connects victims to appropriate support services in the community, assists with victim care, and, through the Victim Quick Response Program (VQRP+), can provide immediate short-term financial support toward essential expenses for victims of violent crime.
Last month, our officers fielded 343 calls regarding intimate partner violence (IPV), compared with 279 calls in January 2020. In the same time period, we made 83 IPV arrests, compared with 51 IPV arrests in January 2020. A total of 206 IPV-related charges were laid in January 2021, compared with 85 IPV-related charges in January 2020 (an increase of 142 per cent).
Tragically, January is not an anomaly. Our analyses indicate that this is a continuation of a trend of an increasing frequency and severity of intimate partner violence incidents in the community over the course of the pandemic. What is particularly concerning is that we recognize that all forms of family violence are under-reported.
 An increase of 142 per cent year over year for the month of January. If you see something, say something. Someone’s life may depend on it.
Every person has the right to feel safe in our community.
Victims of intimate partner violence or sexual assault and witnesses are encouraged to contact the Halton Regional Police Service.
The following is a list of support services and resources in Halton Region for victims of intimate partner violence and/or sexual violence:
• Halton Regional Police Service Victim Services Unit 905-825-4777
• Halton Women’s Place 905-878-8555 (north) or 905-332-7892 (24-hour crisis line)
• Halton Children’s Aid Society 905-333-4441 or 1-866-607-5437
• Nina’s Place Sexual Assault and Domestic Assault Care Centre 905-336-4116 or 905-681-4880
• Thrive Counselling 905-637-5256 or 905-845-3811
• Sexual Assault and Violence Intervention Services (SAVIS) 905-875-1555 (24-hour crisis line)
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